Ten Day Dining Review With Pictures 12/1 Casey's Update!
- Thread starter Steelersfan
- Start date
Steelersfan
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2002
Day 5 (Akershus and Cosmic Ray's)
After a good night's sleep we headed off to Epcot for an 8:00 start. I didn't have any fastpasses for the morning because I felt we would easily be able to do Test Track and Soarin in stand-by lines with time to spare until our 9:30 Akershus Princess Breakfast reservation. We were up early, moving well and on the bus by 7:15 when disaster struck.
As we sat down, our daughter lifted her hand and revealed... no magic band! Immediately, my wife jumped up and got off the bus before the doors closed. French Quarter is only about 10 minutes from Epcot so there was still hope. Our daughter knew we were not pleased about this, but we went on and figured we could get through bag check and get in line. We hoped my wife could catch the next bus and we would still make it in at opening.
They started letting people through the turnstiles a little after 7:30, which didn't help the situation. Fortunately, guests only get to Innoventions plaza and are stopped until the rope drops at 8. The next bus wasn't too late and we ended up getting in not too far past the opening and had a 10 minute wait for Soarin and around 25 for Test Track. It still set us back some.
On the plus side, while we were waiting we met a really nice cast member that assured my daughter that she wasn't the first kid to do this. He also pointed out that when this happens, just go to guest services and they will give you a card to use for the day until you can go get the magic band. That is good info to know, but based on the amount of teasing she endured the rest of the trip, I think she will remember next time!
After Soarin and Test Track were done, we took our time and got to Akershus a little early for our breakfast. We were seated rather quickly and efficiently.
We discovered this restaurant in 2007 as a way to allow our daughter to meet multiple princesses without waiting in any long lines. In 2009, Cinderella was there also and has been every trip since. She has outgrown the princesses some since then
, but the meal quality is good and it is still nice to see some princesses! In fact there was a gentleman there in his 30's getting autographs with his wife and no kids... unless they also lost their magic bands!
The breakfast here is part buffet and part family-style all you can eat. The buffet has meats, cheeses, breads and danishes. The family-style plate has the eggs, etc.
Here is a plate from the buffet with some selections. I discovered Jarlesburg swiss cheese here and get it every time. I sometimes get in a mood for it at home and get a huge block at Sam's Club. They also had a Ligonberry cream cheese spread that is tough to find elsewhere, unless going to IKEA. They have Ligonberry everything!
Another plate from the buffet area. Fruit is on there also.
One person in our group thought that getting creative with her food would make her parents forget about he magic band incident!
Here is the main plate they bring hot. There is bacon, sausage, eggs and special breakfast potatoes they only make at Akershus. This food was cooked perfectly and was delicious. The only bad thing was, we were able to eat the first plate and still wanted a little more and they brought us another huge plate. I'm not one to complain about excess food, but I felt bad wasting it. We were ridiculously full!
The service here was great and the atmosphere is unique. The interaction with the princesses was a little more rushed that other trips, but I think it had more to do with a massive teenage tour group that was really monopolizing the time. I have no intention at all of sounding insensitive or creating a debate, but I am trying to fairly portray the experience we had. If a tour group is there causing issues, it impacts the experience of everyone there and I won't overlook it or give the restaurant a pass.
This group was one of two we encountered at a sit-down meal and was better behaved than the one we saw at 'Ohana late in the trip, but they were still disruptive. They completely too over the buffet area, were very loud and took up all the time of the characters. I totally understand that they have a right to be there also, but as a teacher I am more than aware of how unsupervised teenagers will act if given the opportunity. A 30-1 ratio of adults to kids isn't getting it done.
Other than that, this was another great experience and was not as expensive as the other character meals. It came in around $100,mainly because breakfasts are cheaper. We also have found that food quality tends to be more consistent with breakfasts, but as much as I like eggs, bacon, etc., I can only do three or so a trip. I have a friend that had dinner at Akershus and said it was very good, but I can't speak to that personally.
Another plus of a 9:30ish breakfast here is that the rest of the World Showcase opens very close to the end of the meal and it is very enjoyable to have an hour or two with minimal congestion. We were able to spend several hours in relative peace until we were going to the Magic Kingdom to use our evening fastpasses.
After a good night's sleep we headed off to Epcot for an 8:00 start. I didn't have any fastpasses for the morning because I felt we would easily be able to do Test Track and Soarin in stand-by lines with time to spare until our 9:30 Akershus Princess Breakfast reservation. We were up early, moving well and on the bus by 7:15 when disaster struck.
As we sat down, our daughter lifted her hand and revealed... no magic band! Immediately, my wife jumped up and got off the bus before the doors closed. French Quarter is only about 10 minutes from Epcot so there was still hope. Our daughter knew we were not pleased about this, but we went on and figured we could get through bag check and get in line. We hoped my wife could catch the next bus and we would still make it in at opening.
They started letting people through the turnstiles a little after 7:30, which didn't help the situation. Fortunately, guests only get to Innoventions plaza and are stopped until the rope drops at 8. The next bus wasn't too late and we ended up getting in not too far past the opening and had a 10 minute wait for Soarin and around 25 for Test Track. It still set us back some.
On the plus side, while we were waiting we met a really nice cast member that assured my daughter that she wasn't the first kid to do this. He also pointed out that when this happens, just go to guest services and they will give you a card to use for the day until you can go get the magic band. That is good info to know, but based on the amount of teasing she endured the rest of the trip, I think she will remember next time!
After Soarin and Test Track were done, we took our time and got to Akershus a little early for our breakfast. We were seated rather quickly and efficiently.
We discovered this restaurant in 2007 as a way to allow our daughter to meet multiple princesses without waiting in any long lines. In 2009, Cinderella was there also and has been every trip since. She has outgrown the princesses some since then
, but the meal quality is good and it is still nice to see some princesses! In fact there was a gentleman there in his 30's getting autographs with his wife and no kids... unless they also lost their magic bands!The breakfast here is part buffet and part family-style all you can eat. The buffet has meats, cheeses, breads and danishes. The family-style plate has the eggs, etc.
Here is a plate from the buffet with some selections. I discovered Jarlesburg swiss cheese here and get it every time. I sometimes get in a mood for it at home and get a huge block at Sam's Club. They also had a Ligonberry cream cheese spread that is tough to find elsewhere, unless going to IKEA. They have Ligonberry everything!
Another plate from the buffet area. Fruit is on there also.
One person in our group thought that getting creative with her food would make her parents forget about he magic band incident!
Here is the main plate they bring hot. There is bacon, sausage, eggs and special breakfast potatoes they only make at Akershus. This food was cooked perfectly and was delicious. The only bad thing was, we were able to eat the first plate and still wanted a little more and they brought us another huge plate. I'm not one to complain about excess food, but I felt bad wasting it. We were ridiculously full!
The service here was great and the atmosphere is unique. The interaction with the princesses was a little more rushed that other trips, but I think it had more to do with a massive teenage tour group that was really monopolizing the time. I have no intention at all of sounding insensitive or creating a debate, but I am trying to fairly portray the experience we had. If a tour group is there causing issues, it impacts the experience of everyone there and I won't overlook it or give the restaurant a pass.
This group was one of two we encountered at a sit-down meal and was better behaved than the one we saw at 'Ohana late in the trip, but they were still disruptive. They completely too over the buffet area, were very loud and took up all the time of the characters. I totally understand that they have a right to be there also, but as a teacher I am more than aware of how unsupervised teenagers will act if given the opportunity. A 30-1 ratio of adults to kids isn't getting it done.
Other than that, this was another great experience and was not as expensive as the other character meals. It came in around $100,mainly because breakfasts are cheaper. We also have found that food quality tends to be more consistent with breakfasts, but as much as I like eggs, bacon, etc., I can only do three or so a trip. I have a friend that had dinner at Akershus and said it was very good, but I can't speak to that personally.
Another plus of a 9:30ish breakfast here is that the rest of the World Showcase opens very close to the end of the meal and it is very enjoyable to have an hour or two with minimal congestion. We were able to spend several hours in relative peace until we were going to the Magic Kingdom to use our evening fastpasses.
Haygar2
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2013
Your reviews are great! I am planning our next trip (hopefully September 2016). Haven't attempted to get hubby on board yet, but soon. I have to wait until the right time. We had Via Napoli on our first trip but skipped it on our second. It's on my list for next time. I can't wait! I am going through Disney withdrawal.
Steelersfan
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2002
Day 5 Continues (Cosmic Ray's)
After leaving Epcot, we arrived at the Magic Kingdom where we had fastpasses for Peter Pan's Flight, the Jungle Cruise and the Anna and Elsa Meet and Greet, All of these are attractions that we maybe don't have as "must see," must the lines for all of these are long if not done first thing in the morning. Not to disrespect Peter Pan, but there is no way I am waiting over two hours for that! In fact, it gets as much early morning sprint action as the mountains and Mine Train. Dumbo used to be that get to attraction but it sits empty now in the mornings for a good hour!
We also hit the attractions we like to see that had short lines like the Riverboat and the Country Bears. We were deciding between Pecos Bills and Cosmic Ray's. We have had luck with both in the past and after looking at the menu, went with Cosmic Ray's. It was well after 7 by the time we were eating, but the lines were still very long.
A downside here is they have different "bays" to order. My daughter and I wanted something from one bay and my wife wanted another. This is only bad because it can get tough carrying all the food and tall cups by yourself if you get another order. I did this because after we ordered, I sent my daughter to get us a table.
I went for total value here. I got the half chicken with ribs combo. You get mashed potatoes and green beans with it. All was very good. The ribs were tender and the chicken was moist. I had tough ribs and dried chicken in the past, but not this time! I had the chocolate cake for dessert which made it back to the hotel for breakfast one other morning. It was a very nutritious breakfast. It is a good idea to throw some ziplock bags in your string bag just for things like this in case it opens and melts... it is contained.
My daughter claimed she had chicken nuggets with gelato for dessert. The green beans came with whatever my wife got. I think it may have been a burger.
I am missing one picture here. There is a chance it wasn't taken, but this is the point in the trip where I'm going to have to work to find all the photos. We had three different camera, a video camera, and three cellphones that all were involved with the picture taking. If I find the missing photo I will add it on later.
To summarize our experience here, it was very crowded. That was just the norm in July. To get a quiet counter serve at the Magic Kingdom in July, it has to be at 11 am or during the parade and fireworks. Sonny Eclipse is a favorite of my daughter's so she tries to get us to eat here every time. I asked her that if they ever take him out and convert him into a wedding DJ to be sent all over the country if she would want him at her's and she said yes.
Cosmic Ray's is a good place to eat for the variety. There is something for everyone here. If in the Magic Kingdom, this is as good a place as any for a fast meal.
That was about it for day 5. We had an easier day scheduled with Typhoon Lagoon and some Downtown Disney planned the next evening. I'll be able to get all of that in the next report!
After leaving Epcot, we arrived at the Magic Kingdom where we had fastpasses for Peter Pan's Flight, the Jungle Cruise and the Anna and Elsa Meet and Greet, All of these are attractions that we maybe don't have as "must see," must the lines for all of these are long if not done first thing in the morning. Not to disrespect Peter Pan, but there is no way I am waiting over two hours for that! In fact, it gets as much early morning sprint action as the mountains and Mine Train. Dumbo used to be that get to attraction but it sits empty now in the mornings for a good hour!
We also hit the attractions we like to see that had short lines like the Riverboat and the Country Bears. We were deciding between Pecos Bills and Cosmic Ray's. We have had luck with both in the past and after looking at the menu, went with Cosmic Ray's. It was well after 7 by the time we were eating, but the lines were still very long.
A downside here is they have different "bays" to order. My daughter and I wanted something from one bay and my wife wanted another. This is only bad because it can get tough carrying all the food and tall cups by yourself if you get another order. I did this because after we ordered, I sent my daughter to get us a table.
I went for total value here. I got the half chicken with ribs combo. You get mashed potatoes and green beans with it. All was very good. The ribs were tender and the chicken was moist. I had tough ribs and dried chicken in the past, but not this time! I had the chocolate cake for dessert which made it back to the hotel for breakfast one other morning. It was a very nutritious breakfast. It is a good idea to throw some ziplock bags in your string bag just for things like this in case it opens and melts... it is contained.
My daughter claimed she had chicken nuggets with gelato for dessert. The green beans came with whatever my wife got. I think it may have been a burger.
I am missing one picture here. There is a chance it wasn't taken, but this is the point in the trip where I'm going to have to work to find all the photos. We had three different camera, a video camera, and three cellphones that all were involved with the picture taking. If I find the missing photo I will add it on later.
To summarize our experience here, it was very crowded. That was just the norm in July. To get a quiet counter serve at the Magic Kingdom in July, it has to be at 11 am or during the parade and fireworks. Sonny Eclipse is a favorite of my daughter's so she tries to get us to eat here every time. I asked her that if they ever take him out and convert him into a wedding DJ to be sent all over the country if she would want him at her's and she said yes.
Cosmic Ray's is a good place to eat for the variety. There is something for everyone here. If in the Magic Kingdom, this is as good a place as any for a fast meal.
That was about it for day 5. We had an easier day scheduled with Typhoon Lagoon and some Downtown Disney planned the next evening. I'll be able to get all of that in the next report!
mom of princess
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 31, 2007
As the wife of Steelers fan, here is my bacon cheeseburger that I added lettuce and pickle to at the fixings bar. I also added mayo to try to keep everything together. The green beans were mine but I traded them for some fries with our daughter. I got the mango sorbet and a coke to drink. Normally I don't finish meals but inhaled this one and couldn't wait for him to come back with their food so I took a picture with my phone.
auntfrannie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2001
Enjoying your reviews! Thanks for taking the time to post them!
Steelersfan
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2002
Day 6 (snack at Typhoon Lagoon and T-Rex Cafe)
For the last few trips we have tried to schedule a water park day mid week. Since we really don't need a second early day in the Animal Kingdom, we chose Wednesday to go to Typhoon Lagoon. After a little bus glitch (they ran empty buses to DTD only, while people were waiting for Typhoon), we still made it in time for rope drop. We got great chairs and went straight to the slides.
I had hip a knee surgery a few years back and can't do the slides, but I watched the others and we spent some time in the wave pool and lazy river. The only complaint I have about this park is they openly allow adults to dive into the waves in the ultra shallow water, which means anyone standing in the shallows is constantly at risk to have their knees taken out by a 200 plus pound fast moving object. In the survey I filled out, I suggested a second line across the pool where people must be behind if they are going to dive into the waves. Between the waves themselves and being hit by these adults I was pretty beaten up by day's end, as would anyone else.
As far as the food for Typhoon, we just went with snacks. My daughter and I had a Mickey ice cream bar and we all had a pretzels for lunch (sorry, no pics). We had an early 6:00 dinner at T-Rex, so this was plenty of food. Shortly after 3:00 a huge storm rolled in and we got rained out of a water park. We wanted to leave a little extra time because we had to go to Epcot and switch buses there to get back to the French Quarter.
We got dressed and took a bus to Downtown Disney and made it to T-Rex in time for my daughter to build a dino and get checked in. We were seated VERY quickly.
We never ate at T-Rex, but liked the menu and had a pretty good idea what to expect from recommendations of friends as well as seeing it in passing. I mentioned that Via Napoli was loud, but this was, by far, the loudest restaurant we have visited in all our trips. This is 100% to be expected because this place is themed to appeal to young boys, especially, and the Dinosaurs roar to life every so often. It makes for a fun atmosphere, but it may not appeal to everyone.
Our server was a uber nice and very helpful. He explained what was and was not covered on the meal plan and helped make recommendations. The overall service was slow, but I think it is a product of a full restaurant and kitchen limitations, more than our server. The other tables were getting food at the same pace. If going to T-Rex, be prepared to invest close to 90 minutes for the full experience.
Our daughter has always had a thing for unique "sippy cups" and asked if she could get the slushy in a dino along with her other drink. It was about six extra dollars and wasn't included on the dinner plan, but since she didn't forget her magic band that day, we let her get it. The cup is more cute than functional.
The steak was easily the most expensive meal on the menu, but was still covered by the dining plan. This was a no-brainer for me. I got it medium and it came out just right. You got mashed potatoes and another side. I went for balance and got waffle fries so I had carbs to match the protein. I have had great luck with steak at WDW. The one I had at the Coral Reef three years ago was awesome and so was this. I'd get it anytime!
Our daughter was worried about the lasagna because it didn't have a side, but it was a really big portion and she really liked it. It is also very dark in the restaurant and the pic was taken without a flash, so it doesn't do it justice. The sauce was a nice deep red, but it looks more like the 1900 Park Fare strawberry soup in the pic. The portion also looks smaller than it actually was.
My wife had the chicken sandwich with waffle fries. She ate half of it and got the other half to eat at a later date. I ended up eating it a day later for breakfast. She liked it and only ate half because she was full. It, like the lasagna, was a very healthy portion and we needed to leave room for dessert.
The desserts here are a little confusing. Many are packaged as a "dessert for two." We had an odd number so I'm not 100% sure if the dessert for two could be broken into a smaller portion for one.
The girls had the meteor bites for two, which was basically donut holes with chocolate and caramel dipping sauces. My apologies to Via Nappoli, the ricotta balls never made it back to the hotel from there! I knew we were picking at something round for a few days, and it was indeed these, not the ricotta balls! This was pretty basic, but good nonetheless.
I was looking for something for one on the menu and decided to go with the sorbet sampler. It was a good choice because I was able to eat it without feeling overly stuffed. It had raspberry and mango as the main flavors, which I don't buy too often at home, so it was a nice treat.
In conclusion, we really liked this restaurant. It was a little loud and hectic, but the food was good and we liked the atmosphere that was a little different from the character meals. I usually like to have two positive experiences (or negative) before making a final decision on a restaurant, so T-Rex definitely earned another visit the next trip.
My hip and knees were hurting from the water park, so I took the leftovers back to the hotel and left the girls to shop. We all had a semi-early night. The next day we had a Magic Kingdom/Hollywood Studios day planned as our days were sadly running out!
For the last few trips we have tried to schedule a water park day mid week. Since we really don't need a second early day in the Animal Kingdom, we chose Wednesday to go to Typhoon Lagoon. After a little bus glitch (they ran empty buses to DTD only, while people were waiting for Typhoon), we still made it in time for rope drop. We got great chairs and went straight to the slides.
I had hip a knee surgery a few years back and can't do the slides, but I watched the others and we spent some time in the wave pool and lazy river. The only complaint I have about this park is they openly allow adults to dive into the waves in the ultra shallow water, which means anyone standing in the shallows is constantly at risk to have their knees taken out by a 200 plus pound fast moving object. In the survey I filled out, I suggested a second line across the pool where people must be behind if they are going to dive into the waves. Between the waves themselves and being hit by these adults I was pretty beaten up by day's end, as would anyone else.
As far as the food for Typhoon, we just went with snacks. My daughter and I had a Mickey ice cream bar and we all had a pretzels for lunch (sorry, no pics). We had an early 6:00 dinner at T-Rex, so this was plenty of food. Shortly after 3:00 a huge storm rolled in and we got rained out of a water park. We wanted to leave a little extra time because we had to go to Epcot and switch buses there to get back to the French Quarter.
We got dressed and took a bus to Downtown Disney and made it to T-Rex in time for my daughter to build a dino and get checked in. We were seated VERY quickly.
We never ate at T-Rex, but liked the menu and had a pretty good idea what to expect from recommendations of friends as well as seeing it in passing. I mentioned that Via Napoli was loud, but this was, by far, the loudest restaurant we have visited in all our trips. This is 100% to be expected because this place is themed to appeal to young boys, especially, and the Dinosaurs roar to life every so often. It makes for a fun atmosphere, but it may not appeal to everyone.
Our server was a uber nice and very helpful. He explained what was and was not covered on the meal plan and helped make recommendations. The overall service was slow, but I think it is a product of a full restaurant and kitchen limitations, more than our server. The other tables were getting food at the same pace. If going to T-Rex, be prepared to invest close to 90 minutes for the full experience.
Our daughter has always had a thing for unique "sippy cups" and asked if she could get the slushy in a dino along with her other drink. It was about six extra dollars and wasn't included on the dinner plan, but since she didn't forget her magic band that day, we let her get it. The cup is more cute than functional.
The steak was easily the most expensive meal on the menu, but was still covered by the dining plan. This was a no-brainer for me. I got it medium and it came out just right. You got mashed potatoes and another side. I went for balance and got waffle fries so I had carbs to match the protein. I have had great luck with steak at WDW. The one I had at the Coral Reef three years ago was awesome and so was this. I'd get it anytime!
Our daughter was worried about the lasagna because it didn't have a side, but it was a really big portion and she really liked it. It is also very dark in the restaurant and the pic was taken without a flash, so it doesn't do it justice. The sauce was a nice deep red, but it looks more like the 1900 Park Fare strawberry soup in the pic. The portion also looks smaller than it actually was.
My wife had the chicken sandwich with waffle fries. She ate half of it and got the other half to eat at a later date. I ended up eating it a day later for breakfast. She liked it and only ate half because she was full. It, like the lasagna, was a very healthy portion and we needed to leave room for dessert.
The desserts here are a little confusing. Many are packaged as a "dessert for two." We had an odd number so I'm not 100% sure if the dessert for two could be broken into a smaller portion for one.
The girls had the meteor bites for two, which was basically donut holes with chocolate and caramel dipping sauces. My apologies to Via Nappoli, the ricotta balls never made it back to the hotel from there! I knew we were picking at something round for a few days, and it was indeed these, not the ricotta balls! This was pretty basic, but good nonetheless.
I was looking for something for one on the menu and decided to go with the sorbet sampler. It was a good choice because I was able to eat it without feeling overly stuffed. It had raspberry and mango as the main flavors, which I don't buy too often at home, so it was a nice treat.
In conclusion, we really liked this restaurant. It was a little loud and hectic, but the food was good and we liked the atmosphere that was a little different from the character meals. I usually like to have two positive experiences (or negative) before making a final decision on a restaurant, so T-Rex definitely earned another visit the next trip.
My hip and knees were hurting from the water park, so I took the leftovers back to the hotel and left the girls to shop. We all had a semi-early night. The next day we had a Magic Kingdom/Hollywood Studios day planned as our days were sadly running out!
1983DisneyFanatic
New DVC member 2020
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2015
I made a reservation for TREX for my upcoming trip in September. After looking at the menu, I was thinking of canceling due to the dessert options (lack thereof). It will be just my husband and I, so maybe I will try this place on another trip when the kids are with us. Thanks for your review.
Steelersfan
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2002
Day 7: Whispering Canyon Cafe and Catalina Eddie's
Day seven was an 8 am opening at the Magic Kingdom. My wife decided to sleep in for an hour so my daughter and I went at rope drop and rode Space Mountain and the Astro Orbiter, which are rides my wife does not like. We killed some more time in the Tomorrowland/Fantasyland areas. The rain started at around 11 so we just met my wife at the Hall of Presidents and it was done by the time we were finished, so we were able to just hang out and take advantage of lines that were short until we had to head over to Whispering Canyon Cafe for our 1:30 lunch. We left some extra time, but were able to get there quickly and actually got seated early. The restaurant was fairly empty.
If you have never eaten here, you know it can be quite an experience. It can get loud and rowdy and the waitstaff gets kind of "rude" all in a joking way. There is a card on the table to flip if you just want to eat. We were all in, but our waiter was kind of low-key, so we had the best of all worlds.
One of the drink options is all-you-can-drink milkshakes. It had been a few years since we ate here (2007 to be exact), and I remembered that the milkshake was just too much. Like the goofball I am, I didn't care and ordered one anyhow, as did my daughter. She had chocolate and I had vanilla. If we were not getting desserts, this was a good idea, but as it was, they were very filling.
Here is the chocolate milkshake.
I went with the all-you-can-eat skillet. It starts with a personal mini loaf of cornbread. Good stuff!
Here is the skillet. It had corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, baked beans, pulled pork, sausages, ribs AND chicken. It is a rare day when I only get one all you can eat anything, but one skillet, alond with 1 1/2 milkshakes pretty much did me in! I had the 'meat sweats" something terrible! The quality of this food is great. If you happen to be a fan of BBQ, EAT HERE!
My daughter went with the angus burger and home-made chips. She really liked it. It was giant! She also asked for ketchup and as anyone can see in the pic... she got it! If you have never been there, go and just ask for ketchup. I won't ruin the surprise, but the pic might!
My wife decided to go with the pulled pork. Honestly, this sandwich was so big, she didn't know how to attack it! She ended up basically eating the pork and slaw and leaving the bun... there was that much! She gave it the thumbs up also for quality!
We were almost in pain and out waiter came by with the desserts. We almost just punted and said we couldn't, but we each got something just to try.
My got the sugar free sorbet. It was probably the worst single item the whole trip. In fairness, the waiter all but told her not to get it. She did because it was the smallest and least filling option available. SKIP THIS at all costs!
Our daughter went with the "ooey gooey chocolate cake." This would have been good by itself, with a gallon of milk. To say it was rich is an understatement. I think none of us loved it just because it was too much after the milkshakes and huge portions. I would need to get it all by itself with milk to make a fair judgement.
I had the apple pie and for some reason felt the need to get ice cream and chocolate chips with it. The pie itself was good, but just too much!
The food here is of the highest quality and nobody can leave and say they didn't get enough. The cost is significantly less than a buffet also. It was well under $100 and if paying out of pocket would have been even less because we would have skipped the shakes and desserts. Anyone looking for some BBQ or southwestern type food should add this restaurant. Some people don't like the "entertainment" but you can opt out and just eat if you want. It will take you at least a half an hour to get there from the Magic Kingdom, but the Wilderness Lodge is beautiful and the whole environment is fun!
Day seven was an 8 am opening at the Magic Kingdom. My wife decided to sleep in for an hour so my daughter and I went at rope drop and rode Space Mountain and the Astro Orbiter, which are rides my wife does not like. We killed some more time in the Tomorrowland/Fantasyland areas. The rain started at around 11 so we just met my wife at the Hall of Presidents and it was done by the time we were finished, so we were able to just hang out and take advantage of lines that were short until we had to head over to Whispering Canyon Cafe for our 1:30 lunch. We left some extra time, but were able to get there quickly and actually got seated early. The restaurant was fairly empty.
If you have never eaten here, you know it can be quite an experience. It can get loud and rowdy and the waitstaff gets kind of "rude" all in a joking way. There is a card on the table to flip if you just want to eat. We were all in, but our waiter was kind of low-key, so we had the best of all worlds.
One of the drink options is all-you-can-drink milkshakes. It had been a few years since we ate here (2007 to be exact), and I remembered that the milkshake was just too much. Like the goofball I am, I didn't care and ordered one anyhow, as did my daughter. She had chocolate and I had vanilla. If we were not getting desserts, this was a good idea, but as it was, they were very filling.
Here is the chocolate milkshake.
I went with the all-you-can-eat skillet. It starts with a personal mini loaf of cornbread. Good stuff!
Here is the skillet. It had corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, baked beans, pulled pork, sausages, ribs AND chicken. It is a rare day when I only get one all you can eat anything, but one skillet, alond with 1 1/2 milkshakes pretty much did me in! I had the 'meat sweats" something terrible! The quality of this food is great. If you happen to be a fan of BBQ, EAT HERE!
My daughter went with the angus burger and home-made chips. She really liked it. It was giant! She also asked for ketchup and as anyone can see in the pic... she got it! If you have never been there, go and just ask for ketchup. I won't ruin the surprise, but the pic might!
My wife decided to go with the pulled pork. Honestly, this sandwich was so big, she didn't know how to attack it! She ended up basically eating the pork and slaw and leaving the bun... there was that much! She gave it the thumbs up also for quality!
We were almost in pain and out waiter came by with the desserts. We almost just punted and said we couldn't, but we each got something just to try.
My got the sugar free sorbet. It was probably the worst single item the whole trip. In fairness, the waiter all but told her not to get it. She did because it was the smallest and least filling option available. SKIP THIS at all costs!
Our daughter went with the "ooey gooey chocolate cake." This would have been good by itself, with a gallon of milk. To say it was rich is an understatement. I think none of us loved it just because it was too much after the milkshakes and huge portions. I would need to get it all by itself with milk to make a fair judgement.
I had the apple pie and for some reason felt the need to get ice cream and chocolate chips with it. The pie itself was good, but just too much!
The food here is of the highest quality and nobody can leave and say they didn't get enough. The cost is significantly less than a buffet also. It was well under $100 and if paying out of pocket would have been even less because we would have skipped the shakes and desserts. Anyone looking for some BBQ or southwestern type food should add this restaurant. Some people don't like the "entertainment" but you can opt out and just eat if you want. It will take you at least a half an hour to get there from the Magic Kingdom, but the Wilderness Lodge is beautiful and the whole environment is fun!
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chocolateMinnie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2008
Love WCC but completely agree you come away wishing you could have two stomachs. The milkshakes are definitely to blame. We brought back our apple pie last year and had it for breakfast the following day 
GatorChris
Not of This World
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2014
You went to Sassagoula and had a burger?!?!? And pre-made chocolate cake?!!?!? Holy cow. On my last trip to WDW in 2012 (oh, how I miss it), I tried the ribs, the fried chicken, and the jambalaya...all were amazing, just like you would expect Creole cooking to be. And then we did the awesome beignets. Over and over. Those alone are worth flying across the country and eating. They do them just as good as any place in the real French Quarter that I've tried. I would definietly suggest to anyone going there to try their traditional Creole fair and beignets. You'll never be the same!
NorweJenNY
Always expanding my knowledge of the World
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2008
Totally agree!
I love ribs at Sassagoula! And my husband loves the jambalaya and beignets!
It's also a smaller, quiter food court compared to some others. We've gone here frequently when we weren't even staying at POFQ.
Steelersfan
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2002
I had ribs coming in a few days and my wife is allergic to shellfish, which was in the jambalaya so I don't even touch it.
Steelersfan
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2002
We have always had good luck at WCC with the food and service. I think we skipped it the last few trips just because it isn't the easiest to get to and character meals took priority with a young child. That, and we usually like to try at least one new place a trip if we can. There's just not enough nights to eat everywhere we want!
Natasha Boozer
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2015
Awesome reviews.
tinkerbella16
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 4, 2012
Awesome reviews! Via Napoli and Akershus were some of our favorite meals last year! The Piccante Pizza was delicious and Zepolle dessert was amazing!!!! Akershus breakfast- those potatos were just the best potatos we ever had! You can also ask for mickey waffles at Akershus.. they will gladly bring you a plate full of the mini ones.. in case anyone is going there for breakfast for the first time. We read about it on here before our trip and asked and the waiter was happy to bring them out!
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